This is our first house warming meal. i had this sudden craving for damper (butter, salt, self raising flour and water), it was the first time i made it actually and it tastes really great! the soup is an ethiopian lentil soup which has potatos, canned tomatos, mushrooms, green beans, lentils, a mixture of whatever spices are in the pantry, also super nice. the real recipe is from here.



spanish rice
yeah so this is really one of bianca's recipes (with a couple of minor deviations) but i was in the mood for making it, so delicious...

Ing.
spanish onion (fine slice)
shallots
garlic
cups short grain white rice
pessata
unpitted kalamata olives
coriander root and stalks
chilli
cinnamon stick
tumeric
cumin seeds
thyme
bay leaf (soo much better from a tree than then from the sachet)
danish (or other) fetta

Meth.
++ usual cook up... so i start with onion + shallots in o.oil (lots, i also have a little water in pan/pot before i put oil in), almost till caramelised ( if sticking along the way add little bit water)
++ add garlic + chilli + coriander roots/stalks then other spices (not yet with bay leaf and thyme) stir up
++ add rice and stir making sure that all rice gets coated in oily mixture
++ add pessata + water + olives
++ keep stirring and adding a little water (not too much) till sticky but not sludgy (like
paella rice not risotto) + sea salt + thyme + bay leaf
++ serve with fetta and coriander leaves


salads
+++ the cucumber salad is simple with only salt and a little lemon
+++ fennel salad consists of finely sliced fennel + parsley (flat or fuzzy) + lemon/salt/olive oil dressing
+++ beetroot&cucumber was helen's... anyway it was delicious, i'm somewhat obsessed with beetroot at the moment somthing to do with the darkness and intensity of it